Prospect, the New Orleans art biennial that began in 2008 (which included Mark Bradford’s
“Mithra”), winning critical praise and generating millions in tourist
income for its hurricane-battered home, has become entangled in
fund-raising and administrative problems that are jeopardizing its
future, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported Thursday. The
ambitious event, which installed the work of more than 80 artists at
sites throughout New Orleans, ended up badly over budget after the
bills came due in 2008, owing more than $1 million more than it had
raised. Late last month, its founding director, Dan Cameron,
announced that the next iteration of the event, Prospect.2, would be
postponed until the fall of 2011 from this November because of
fund-raising shortfalls. The Times-Picayune reported that several
directors who joined the biennial’s board in 2009 to help shore up the
finances and raise money for Prospect.2, stepped down in February
because of differences with Mr. Cameron over how the project should be
managed. Two people with knowledge of the board resignations, who spoke
on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation,
confirmed the basic account of the problems to The New York Times. The
Times-Picayune reported that the biennial’s executive director, Barbara Motley,
a theater owner who was hired last year to oversee the administrative
side of the event so that Mr. Cameron could focus on selecting artists
and helping them to realize their works, had also resigned. Ms. Motley
told the newspaper that she believed in “organizational charts and
management protocols” while Mr. Cameron was “much more organic in his
approach to management.” Earlier this month the Contemporary Arts Center
in New Orleans announced that it would not renew Mr. Cameron’s contract
as its part-time visual arts director. The center’s director said it
needed someone to work full-time to oversee its art exhibitions. Mr.
Cameron did not respond to telephone and e-mail messages left for him
today.

Prospect, the New Orleans art biennial that began in 2008 (which included Mark Bradford’s
“Mithra”), winning critical praise and generating millions in tourist
income for its hurricane-battered home, has become entangled in
fund-raising and administrative problems that are jeopardizing its
future, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported Thursday. The
ambitious event, which installed the work of more than 80 artists at
sites throughout New Orleans, ended up badly over budget after the
bills came due in 2008, owing more than $1 million more than it had
raised. Late last month, its founding director, Dan Cameron,
announced that the next iteration of the event, Prospect.2, would be
postponed until the fall of 2011 from this November because of
fund-raising shortfalls. The Times-Picayune reported that several
directors who joined the biennial’s board in 2009 to help shore up the
finances and raise money for Prospect.2, stepped down in February
because of differences with Mr. Cameron over how the project should be
managed. Two people with knowledge of the board resignations, who spoke
on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation,
confirmed the basic account of the problems to The New York Times. The
Times-Picayune reported that the biennial’s executive director, Barbara Motley,
a theater owner who was hired last year to oversee the administrative
side of the event so that Mr. Cameron could focus on selecting artists
and helping them to realize their works, had also resigned. Ms. Motley
told the newspaper that she believed in “organizational charts and
management protocols” while Mr. Cameron was “much more organic in his
approach to management.” Earlier this month the Contemporary Arts Center
in New Orleans announced that it would not renew Mr. Cameron’s contract
as its part-time visual arts director. The center’s director said it
needed someone to work full-time to oversee its art exhibitions. Mr.
Cameron did not respond to telephone and e-mail messages left for him
today.